Molly and Bill stood outside the brightly lit community center, peering through the window at the chaos of children's laughter and discarded party hats. Molly adjusted her black beanie, her eyes narrowed. "Looks like we picked the right party, Bill. There's enough presents under that tree to fund our retirement." Bill chuckled, peering through the other window. "Just hope their parents didn't go for that 'experiences over things' nonsense. I want to see some tangible loot." "Relax, Bill. This is a solid upper-middle-class neighborhood. Their idea of 'experiences' is probably a pony ride or a magic show," Molly replied, checking her watch. "We've got fifteen minutes until the chaos moves to the bouncy castle. That's our window." Bill glanced around nervously. "You think we should case the joint first? Maybe find out who the kid is and what his parents are like." Molly rolled her eyes. "Bill, we've been over this. Kids don't exactly have tell-all biographies. We're going in blind. It's a smash and grab. Simple." "Yeah, simple if you're not the one getting caught," Bill muttered, adjusting his gloves. Molly sighed, exasperated. "Look, if you're too chickenshit for this, I can handle it solo. But let's not waste time. We gotta move fast. Got the lockpicks?" Bill patted his pockets. "Yeah, yeah, I got them. Let's do this." "Good. Remember, we're kids in costumes. Don't look like a weirdo lurking around the presents," Molly reminded him as they slipped inside, blending in with the other parents. Inside, the party was a riot of colors and noise. A clown juggled oranges, while a magician with an overly frilly costume pulled doves from thin air. Molly scanned the room, spotting the Christmas tree laden with presents near the front door. "That's our jackpot." Bill nodded, following her lead. They weaved through the crowd, bumping into people and making excuses about chasing after their "sibling." The planning paid off. In the chaos around the bouncing kids and the merry-go-round, they sauntered over to the tree unnoticed. Molly whispered, "I'll distract the clown. You grab the presents and shove them in the duffel bag. Ready?" Bill nodded, heart pounding. "Ready. Go!" Molly approached the clown, flashing him a charming smile. "Excuse me, can we borrow you for a quick magic trick? My friend here has never seen a real disappearing act." The clown chuckled, weaving a red scarf through his hands. "Well, let's see if we can't make this scarf disappear, shall we?" Meanwhile, Bill snuck up to the tree, his heart hammering. He crouched down, grabbing a handful of presents and quickly stuffing them into the bag. Each item disappeared into the duffel, and Bill felt a rush of adrenaline. From the corner of his eye, he saw Molly chatting up the clown, the kids clapping along. He had a moment. He grabbed a couple more presents, their brightly wrapped shapes vanishing under his jacket.